Car-coupling.



H. G. GRIGGER.

OAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION I'ILED NOV. 27. 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR Hzmrf 63916622 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS H. a. GRIGGBR.

GAR COUPLING;

APPLIOATION FILED 110V. 27, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ml/Euros I By ATTORNEYS nnrrnp earns PA mar time HENRY C. CRIGGER, 0F JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 DAVID 0. SIMPSON, OF KENOVA, WEST VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. ORIGGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Johnson City, in the county of IVashington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improve- 'ments in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in car couplings of the class ordinarily known as the J anney type and the invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the class of such couplings illustrated in my former Patent No. 927,453, July 6, 1909, and the present invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a sectional top plan view of my coupling with the knuckle closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the knuckle partially open. Fig. 3 is a sectional top plan view showing the knuckle open. Fig. at is a cross section on about the line 4I of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on about the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail cross section on about the line 66 of Fig. at. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the operating slide with the sections connected together and Fig. 8 illustrates portions of the sectional operating slide detached.

The draw head A with the fixed B may be of ordinary construction and the knuckle C is pivoted at D and has the rearwardly projecting tail E provided at its rear end on its inner side with a projecting lug F to overlap in rear of the upright flange G on the locking dog H and is provided on its outer side with the lateral lug I. The parts so far described may be in general construction and arranged to operate substantially like the corresponding parts of my prior patent before described On its rear side and preferably on the lateral lug I, I provide the knuckle with teeth I forming a rack segment which in operation is engaged by the rack bar forming a part of the operating slide presently described.

The operating slide is movable longitudinally in a direction transversely to the draw bar and comprises, as shown in Fig. 7, a series of sections or parts including the handle rod J, the main bar K and the rack bar L. The rack bar L is slidable relative Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 530,240.

to the main bar K and the latter has at its inner end an inclined surface K which may be engaged below the locking dog H and lift the same out of engagement with the knuckle when the main bar K is moved to its innermost position as shown, for instance, in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing.

The rack bar L has teeth L to mesh with the teeth I on the knuckle, see Figs. 1, 2 and 8 of the drawings, and the said rack bar L has a limited sliding movement upon the main bar K being to such end provided with a box like portion L embracing the bar K and having flanges L sliding in grooves K and K in the opposite sides of the bar K as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

In fitting the rack bar on to the bar K the box L can be slipped onto the grooved end of the main bar K and be moved toward the inner end thereof until one of its flanges L engages the shoulder K" at the inner end of the groove K The block M can be applied and secured as shown in Fig. 7 by a screw M. The shoulder K limits the movement of the parts K and L in one direction and the keeper M when applied and secured at M limits said sliding movement in the opposite direction.

The handle rod J has a handle portion J at its outer end and is held at its inner end rockably in a groove K in the upper face of the bar K at the outer end thereof and covered by the keeper M. At its inner end the handle rod J is provided with a lateral crank arm J 2 which may be turned horizontally into a notch K in the upper face of the bar K by swinging the handle arm J forwardly to a horizontal position and when the said handle portion J drops vertically, which is its natural position by reason of gravity, the crank arm J 2 will turn up into the notch K to a position in, rear of the rack bar L, as shown in full lines in Fig. 7. It will be noticed that when the arm J 2 is turned down into the notch K,the bar K may move inwardly independent of the rack bar, the crank arm J 2 sliding below the rack bar as shown in Fig. 2 but when the arm J 2 is up in rear of the rack bar, the bar K cannot move inwardly independently of the rack bar. This is important as it prevents and accidental inward movement of the operating slide such as would release the locking dog H, as when the knuckle is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the

do if holds it in such )osition and the teeth I and the handle rod will dro in locked 3osi tion to prevent uncoupling as before deon the said knuckle meshing with the rack bar will prevent any inward movementof the rack bar and the rack bar will prevent any inward movement of the locking slide so long as the handle rod remains in its natural position with its handle portion J hanging down and the crank arm at its inner end standing back of the rack bar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings. If, however, the handle rod be turned from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 9, the slide bar K may be moved inward to release the locking dog H which movement will be permitted until the keeper block on the slide engages the outer end of the rack bar and then a further inward movement of the slide will move the rack bar in until by meshing with the knuckle, it throws the same to open position. The rod J, it will be noticed thus operates as a means for locking the rack bar from movement on the main bar. In the reverse coupling movement, the bar K may slide outwardly to release the locking dog so the latter will fall into engagement with the knuckle when the latter is closed in the usual manner.

In securing the above operations, it will be noticed that the handle bar J is slidable with respect to the main bar K of the operating slide and that the said bar K is slidable with respect to the ack bar L and when the rod J is turned with the handle portion J in horizontal position, the angular portion J 2 of the rod engages in the notch K of the main bar K so that when the rod is pushed inwardly toward the coupler the inclined surface of the main bar K operating below the dog H will lift the said dog and disengage it from the tail of the knuckle thus unlocking the said knuckle. hen the handle J is turned down to vertical position, i

the angular portion J 2 is disengaged from the notch K and is engaged with the main bar K by fitting in a notch K therein, as shown and before described. In uncoupling the first outward movement of the handle rod unlocks the knuckle and the further movement swings theknuckle open.

In operation the handle port-ion J may be turned up to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, and pushed in to open the knuckle and pulled out to close the same. To unlock one coupled car from another, the handle portion J should be turned to horizontal position and forced inwardly moving the slide bar in as far as it will go, thus unlocking the dog H and then when the cars are parted, the knuckle being geared with the rack bar will, operating upon said rack bar, pull the operating slide in as far as it is intended to go. Also when the knuckle is closed in the coupling operation, the slide bar will be shoved back to running position scribed, while the cars are drifting down grades.

I claim:

1. The in'iprovement in car couplings substantially as herein described, comprising the combination with a knuckle having a toothed segment and a locking dog cooperating with said knuckle, of an operating slide consisting of a main bar grooved in its opposite faces, adapted at its inner end to operate the locking dog and having one of its side grooves provided at its inner end with a stop shoulder, a rack bar having a boX sliding longitudinally along the main bar and limited in its inward movement by the said shoulder, a keeper secured on the outer end of the main bar and limiting the outward movement of the rack bar and a handle bar rockable relatively to the main bar and movable in one position into engagement with the main bar and in its other position into engagement with the rack bar,

all substant-ially'as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a car coupling, substantially as described, an operating slide composed of a main bar, a rack bar movable longitudinally along the main bar and means cooperating with the main bar for locking the rack bar from such movement'in one direction, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a knuckle having rack teeth and a locking dog cooperating with said knuckle, of an operating slide having a main bar, a rack bar movable longitudinally along the main bar and means cooperating with the main bar for locking the rack bar from such movement in one direction.

4. The combination with a knuckle and a locking dog therefor, of an operating slide having a main bar, a rack bar movable longitudinally along the main bar and a handle rod rockably connected with the main bar and movable into position to cooperate with the main bar in locking the rack bar from movement in one direction along the main bar, substantially as set forth.

The combination with a knuckle having rack teeth and a locking dog for said knuckle, of an operating slide having a main bar, a rack bar movable longitudinally along the main bar and a handle rod having a rocking connection with the main bar and provided with a crank arm movable into position to cooperate with the main bar in looking the rack bar from movement in one direction along the main bar, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a knuckle; a look ing dog therefor, an operating slide having a main bar provided with a longitudinal groove and with a stop shoulder at the inner end thereof, a rack bar slidable along said main bar and having a flange entering said groove and abutting the stop shoulder thereof in one direction of movement of the rack bar, and a rod rockable relatively to the main bar and having means adjustable into position to stop the movement of the rack bar in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a knuckle, a locking dog therefor, an operating slide having a main bar for releasing said dog and a rack bar meshing with the knuckle, said rack bar being movable relatively to the main bar and means cooperating with the main bar in locking the rack bar from such movement in one direction whereby in the coupled position of the knuckle, the meshing thereof with the rack bar will prevent any movement of the operating slide to release the dog, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a knuckle, a locking dog therefor, an operating slide having a main bar for releasing said dog and a rack bar slidable relatively to the main bar and a handle rod rockably connected with the main bar and having at its inner end an arm swinging into position to cooperate with the main bar in locking the rack bar from movement along the main bar in one direction and the said rod having at its outer end an arm projecting in position to hang down when the inner arm of the rod is in position to lock the rack bar from movement along the main bar, substantially as set forth.

9. In a car coupling, the combination of an operating slide composed of a main bar and a rack bar movable along the same, and means for locking the said rack bar from outward movement along the main bar.

10. In a car coupling, the combination of an operating slide composed of a main bar and a rack bar movable along the main bar, the latter having means for stopping the movement of the rack bar in one direction, and means movable relatively to the main bar and into position to stop the movement of the rack bar in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination in a car coupling with a main bar and a rack bar, said parts being movable relatively, of a handle rod having means for limiting the movement of the rack bar in one direction, substantially as set forth.

12. In a car coupling, the combination of a main bar, a rack bar movable along the same, and means carried by the main bar and movable into position to limit the movement of the rack bar in one direction, substantially as set forth.

HENRY C. CRIGGER.

\Vitnesses:

E. H. Goon, J W. HORTON. 

